allen



(No Modl.)

W. B. ALLEN@ Lifting Jaak.

No. 232,430. Patented sept. 21,1880.

WnvNEssEs` N. PETERSy 'UNITED STATES PATENT FFICEO LIFTING-JACK.l

SPECIFICATION. forming part of Letters Patent No. 232,430, datedSeptember 21, 1880. Application filed July 13, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WM. B. ALLEN, of Orleans, in the county of Ontarioand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Lifting-Jacks and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in liftin g-jacks, and is moreparticularly designed to be used as a wagon-jack, but will be found tobe `equally subservient to many other lifting purposes, the object beingto provide a jack of very light and simple construction, ar-

ranged to be easily operated by'one person, adapted to a wide range oflifting adjustment, collapsible, and therefore convenient oftransportation, and capable of being supplied to the trade at acomparatively light cost.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain details ofconstruction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of mylifting-jack. Fig. 2 is a perspective View with the component parts indifferent adjustment. Fig. 3 is a frontvie'w, and Fig. 4 shows amodified form of my improved lifting-jack. Fig. 5 is a detached View ofthe swiveled hook and its attaching-clasp.

A A' represent the two posts forming the standard, between which, attheir lower extremities, a pivotal foot, B, is secured, the engaging-face of which is provided with frictionpins b b', the latterreadily engaging with any smooth surface upon which the jack may beused, and thereby preventing thefoot B from slippingl thereon. Directlyabove the pivotal foot B a stop-pin, B', is placed, to prevent the footfrom turning over and to keep it always in engaging position.

At a short distance above the center of and between the standard-poststhe actuating-lever is secured by a bolt, C, which serves the twofoldpurpose of forming the fulcrumof the lever and also of attaching inpivotal adjustment to the standard the two arms D D of the braceframe.

Bolted between the upper ends of the standard-posts A A' is agravity-pawl, D2, which has a free sliding movement on the long arm ofthe lever O. This gravity-pawl is provided at its lower end with aUshaped guard,

d, the arms of which clasp the sides of the lever and prevent anylateral or twisting motion of the pawl, thereby insuring certainty ofthe registration of the pin or stud d2, secured at the end of the pawl,with the holes or sockets c c, formed at frequent intervals on the upperface of the long arm of the lever O'.

The brace-frame is composed of two arms, D D, and the beveled foot D',said brace-foot joining the two arms at their lower ends, and providedwith a metallic plate, D3, arranged to project slightly below the lowerface ofthe brace-foot, the thin edge of this plate readily engaging withany smooth surface on which it may be rested. The arms D Dof thebraceare secured to the standard at thesame point and by the same bolt, C,which forms the fulcrum of the actuating-lever C'.

The foot-bearingsB and D', respectively, of the standard and brace-frameare so situated with reference to each other, and have such broadbearing, that the jack is supported by means of them without other aid,rendering it of much easier operation, and enabling one person to use itmore conveniently.

The short arm ofthe actuatin g-leverO' is provided with a number ofmetal studs, o o, serving to prevent the undue wear of the lever-arm,and also acting as a friction agent to engage with the object lifted andto prevent it from slipping on the lever-arm, thereby allowing the shortarm of the lever to be raised to its highest or depressed to its lowestposition without danger of having the weight lifted slip on the lever toanother point from that which it had at its first engagement with theleverarm. These friction-studs thus overcome a great objection which hasalways obtained in that class oflifting-jacks wherein the pointofsupport moves through an arc of a circlejin raising or lowering theweight lifted. Y i

To the end of the short arm of the lever 4a supplementalsupporting-block, H, is attached, the same being composed of two pieces,F F', and a guide-block, F2. The parts F F' are secured on either sideof and at the end of theY IOO short arm of the lever C by a bolt, a2,upon which they have a free swinging movement. Guide-block F2 is securedbetween the outer ends of the pieces F F, and fits between thestandard-posts when the supplemental block is in its elevated position.The design of this supplemental supporting-block device is to give awider range of adjustment to the jack and render it capable of'hi gherlifts than would be otherwise possible without changing the position ofthe standard or brace-frame feet, which is often inconvenient, not tosay impracticable, for want of sufficient room. It is also especiallyadapted for lifting when, from the nature of the object, a broadsupportingsurface is necessary, and where the narrow lever-arm would notanswer the purpose. When used as above alluded toit is in the positionas shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings,and the guide-block F2 has slidingbearin between the standard-posts A A. One side of the supplementalsupporting-block is provided with metal studs in the same manner and forsubstantially the same purpose as the studs on the short arm of theactuating-lever C. By means of these metal studs either on the lever-armor supplemental block, and an independent lifting-bar recessed at oneend and adapted to tit over any one of the studs, weights may be liftedor supported far above the reach of the lever-arm. This very simple useof my device will often take the place of a jackscrew, which. is heavierand not always attainable. By throwing` the supplemental block over, asshown in Fig. l, a convenient opportunity is afforded, by means of aseries of cross bars or pins, f, on said supplemental block, ofattaching a swiveled hook, L, provided with a clasp, m, adapted toengage with any one of the pins ff j', according to the height of theobject to be lifted from the ground. This hook-lifter may be put to verymany convenient uses, as in repairing felices and lifting logs and allobjects near the ground and either too low to be reached by thelever-arm or of unwieldy shape and size therefor.

A simple and modified form of lifting-jack is shown in Fig. 4, and whileit embodies much that is important in my invention it has a more limitedfield of usefulness and is not self-supporting. The standardis formed oftwo parts, Gr G', the leg Glof which is cut offjust below the point ofthe lever-fulcrum at lVI. This jack has no frame-brace and is notself-supporting, but it has a pivotal leg, M attached to the standard bythe fulcrum-boltM, and on the side of the standard-piece G. The shortarm of the lever O2 is provided with metal studs, and between the upperends of the standard-pieces a gravity pawl, D2, is secured, which isprovided with a guard and pin, engaging with the holes or sockets o c inthe lever-arm in the same manner as in the larger jack. Thelower end ofthe standard-legGisrecessed and provided with notched pivotal foot toinsure its ready engagement with any smooth surface upon which it may beplaced. The lower end of the pivotal leg Mis provided with a thinmetallic plate a little more than flush with the end thereof. Saidplate, having a thin edge, will readily engage with any smooth surface,it being substantially the same device as that employed in the largerjack.

Heretofore the majority of lifting-j acks have been not only complicatedin construction and difficult to operate, but they have been unwieldyand cumbersome and not easily placed in a convenient operative position.My improved lifting-jaek is, however, both simple in construction andoperation, and is adapted to have a very wide field of usefulness. Itmay be compactly folded and transported, it is light, and can besupplied to the trade, it is thought, at a lower price than any deviceof its kind and of equal value and efficiency now before the public.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a lifting-jack, the combination, witha standard composed of twouprights which extend above the actuating-lever, andan actuating-leverpivoted between said uprights, of a swinging brace composed of twouprights and a bolt inserted through the upper ends of theswinging-brace uprights, the standard, and the actuating-lever,substantially as set forth.

2. In a lifting-jack, the combination, with a standard composed of twouprights, which eX- tend above the actuating-lever, andan actuatlOOing-lever pivoted between said uprights, of a y two-part swinging braceand a gravity-pawl pivoted between the upper ends of the two uprights ofthe standard, substantially as set forth.

3. In a lifting-jack, the colnbination, with the actuating-lever havinga series of holes or sockets formed in its upper edge, of a gravitypawlhaving secured to its lower end a metal pin or stud adapted to fit intosaid holes or sockets, substantiallyas set forth.

4. In a lifting-jack, the combination, with the actuating-lever having aseries of sockets or holes formed in its upper edge, of a gravitypawlprovided at its lower end with a pin or stud and with a guard, thelatter adapted to iit against the sides of the actuating-lever,substantially as set forth.

5. In a lifting-jack, the combination, with a standard, of a pivotalfoot having frictionpoints attached to its engaging-face and' a stop-pinsecured above said foot, substantially as set forth.

6. In a lifting-jack, the combination, with the standard andactuating-lever, of a supple` mental supporting-block pivoted to theshort arm of the actuating-lever and adapted to engage with the standardwhen in operation, substantially as set forth.

7. In a lifting-jack, the combination, with the standard andactuating-lever, of a supplemental supporting-block provided with armsIIO which are pivoted to the opposite sides of the short arm of theactuating-lever, said block adapted to engage with the standard when inoperative position, substantially as set forth. 8. In a lifting-jack,the combination, with the actuating-lever and standard, of asupplemental supporting-block pivoted to the short arm of theactuating-lever and provided with a guide-block on its free end, whichts between the sides of the standard when the supplemental block is inoperative position, substantially as set forth.

9. In a lifting-jack, the combination, with the actuating-lever andstandard, of a supplemental supporting-block pivoted to the short arm ofthe actuating-lever and adapted to en! gage with the standard when inoperative position, said block having metal studs secured to one sidethereof, substantially as set forth.

10. In alifting-jack,the actuating-leverhaving metal studs secured tothe upper face of the short arm thereof, substantiallyr as set forth.

11. In a lifting-jack, the combination, with the actuating-lever and asupplemental supporting block or frame pivoted thereto, of a swiveledhook adapted to be removably secured to cross bars or pins on thesupplemental block or frame, substantially as set forth. i

12. In a lifting-jack, the combination, with the actuating-lever havingstuds secured to its short arm, of an independent lifting-[bar having arecessed end adapted to t over said studs, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand andseal this 9th day of July, 1880.

WILLIAM B. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE MOORE, A. VRooMAN.

